Prison firefighting crew and others working to protect ‘hallowed ground’ in Yarnell
Jul 26, 2013, 1:46 PM | Updated: 1:54 pm
YARNELL — Almost one month after the Yarnell Hill wildfire took the lives of 19 Granite Mountain hotshots, crews are at work trying to protect the site where they died from flooding out.
Yarnell received heavy rain Friday. Jim Paxon with the Arizona State Forestry said a 20-person firefighting crew from Lewis Prison along with others from various state agencies have moved into the canyon to place 400 sandbags where the 19 firefighters deployed their shelters on June 30.
“All of that water has to go somewhere,” Paxon said. “There’s no brush, grass, vegetation to hold the water back. This is steep country. It comes out of these canyons with a lot of velocity.”
The prison crew helping deploy sandbags Friday was on the Yarnell Hill fire Saturday June 29 and worked through June 30. The Lewis crew is one of five prison firefighting teams. Four made up of all men, the other crew is all women.
For volunteer, fundraising and other ways to assist those affected by the Yarnell Hill Fire, go to yarnellfallenfirefighters.com.
